# Is "Night Train" by Martin Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Night Train by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape, 1997) is identified by: Short novel issued in black cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine and pictorial dust jacket. The UK Jonathan Cape edition (1997) precedes the first US edition from Harmony Books (New York, 1998); the US first is a distinct setting with its own full number line ending in 1.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Short novel issued in black cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine and pictorial dust jacket
- First-printing copies carry the full descending number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page; the jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap
- Later impressions are identified by an added impression statement and an advanced number line
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Short novel issued in black cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine and pictorial dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Short novel issued in black cloth-covered boards with gilt lettering to the spine and pictorial dust jacket. First-printing copies carry the full descending number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page; the jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap. Later impressions are identified by an added impression statement and an advanced number line.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (1997) precedes the first US edition from Harmony Books (New York, 1998); the US first is a distinct setting with its own full number line ending in 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by an added impression statement or an advanced number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Night Train* by Martin Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/night-train
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.